The oboe and English horn and their grandfather, the bassoon, are double reed instruments. This means that instead of a mouthpiece as on flute or brass instruments, or a mouthpiece/reed combination as on clarinet or saxophone, we play on a reed made from two pieces of cane bound together so that they vibrate against each other. Reed cane comes from the plant species arundo donax. which grows best in the temperate climates of southern France, northern Argentina and southeast Asia. It’s important for oboists to visit these regions to observe the cane in its natural habitat before mutilating it for our own selfish musical reasons. This is why oboists need patrons like yourself!

Nu Deco Ensemble’s audiences will likely agree they have experienced something different from the usual concert experience. The music we present crosses traditional barriers in terms of style, genre, and instrumentation. Listeners can hear music that was revolutionary in the 1920s paired with music written for computerized sounds, a DJ, or even solo steel drums.